Around the Tubes: 6/9/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Putin Interviews, Claws, Family Feud, POV, First Ladies Revealed, Survivorman and Son: Mongolia, Monster Hunt, Snowpiercer, Escape at Dannemora, and Weekend Blast with Ed Lover and Monie Love.

- Showtime Documentary Films has released a new extended clip from Oliver Stone’s unprecedented conversations with Vladimir Putin, The Putin Interviews. The clip is pulled from hour four of the special, which features Stone’s most recent discussion with the Russian president this past February, following the U.S. presidential elections. In the newly released clip, Putin offers his opinion of his former Cold War foe, Senator John McCain, that sheds light on how Putin views today's global affairs in a historical context. Additionally, a new video for The Putin Interviews was released that features a behind-the-scenes look and interview with Stone, about the making of the television special.


- Turner's TNT has announced that the premiere episode of its new drama Claws will stream on Twitter following the series' launch on TNT. Set in a Central Florida nail salon and featuring an ensemble cast headed by Niecy Nash (Getting On, The Soul Man), Claws is slated to premiere Sunday, June 11, at 9:00 across TNT's platforms. Twitter will then stream an encore of the premiere episode at 10 pm. (ET), marking the platform's first ever streaming of a basic cable drama. Fans on Twitter in the United States will be able to access the stream and a curated timeline of show-related Tweets by going to claws.twitter.com, as well as via the @ClawsTNT Twitter handle.

- All next week (6/12-6/16), GSN will feature episodes of Family Feud where the contestants at some point left Steve Harvey utterly speechless. Tune in each night at 7pm ET (6pm central) to catch the contestants and answers that dumbfounded the otherwise talkative host

- The year is 2015. Syria’s brutal civil war has been ravaging the country since the government responded with force to civil protests during the Arab Spring in 2011. Regime, Kurdish, ISIS and rebel forces all occupy various parts of the city of Aleppo in northwestern Syria. A volunteer group called the White Helmets provides emergency services to traumatized residents in the rebel-occupied areas of the city. A crucial part of their efforts is rescuing survivors: After air attacks reduce buildings to rubble, the men of the White Helmets dig through the debris and pull survivors to safety. They are nothing short of heroes. The White Helmets are the subject of Last Men in Aleppo (airing July 10, 2017 on POV), the searing documentary directed by Feras Fayyad that won the World Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. The film has its national broadcast premiere on July 10 at 10 p.m. (check local listings) on the PBS documentary series POV (Point of View). POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, now in its 30th season. Last Men in Aleppo is the final film in this season’s special series highlighting the Syrian conflict and refugee crisis.

- First Ladies have played a key role in branding their husbands’ presidencies and have each left their own mark on history. Smithsonian Channel’s new series, First Ladies Revealed, examines some of the most prominent and remarkable women – trailblazers, style icons, diplomats, war heroes, and global superstars. From Dolley Madison, Eleanor Roosevelt and Jackie Kennedy to Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and more, the series tells the stories of some of the women who left their indelible mark on the White House and the nation. Smithsonian Channel reveals their challenges and celebrates their achievements, going beyond their public lives to tell their private stories. The series premieres Sunday, July 2 at 9:00.

- During his last expedition to Mongolia, survival expert Les Stroud was almost killed in an automobile accident. A year later, he returns there with his son Logan, now 19, and with a mind of his own and strength of character earned by beating cancer. If they're going to survive a week in remote Mongolia with no water, shelter, food or fire, they're going to have to work together. The task might be easier said than done when youth tests experience and stubbornness proves to be a genetic trait. Survivorman and Son: Mongolia kicks off Father’s Day weekend on Friday, June 16 at 10:00.

- Monster Hunt, China's highest-grossing movie of all time until just recently, is coming to DVD via FilmRise and MVD Enterttainment Group on June 13th.

- Turner's TNT has cast Jennifer Connelly, who earned an Oscar® for her performance in A Beautiful Mind, to star in the network's drama pilot Snowpiercer. She joins Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (Hamilton, Black-ish) in the futuristic thriller, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange). Based on the acclaimed movie of the same name, Snowpiercer is a co-production of Tomorrow Studios and Turner's Studio T, along with CJ Entertainment. The project is being executive-produced by writer-showrunner Josh Friedman (Avatar 4, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles); director Scott Derrickson; Tomorrow Studios' Marty Adelstein (Aquarius, Prison Break, Teen Wolf) and Becky Clements (Good Behavior, Aquarius, Last Man Standing); and the original film's Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Dooho Choi.

- SHOWTIME has given a production order to Escape at Dannemora, a new eight-hour limited series starring Academy Award® winners Benicio del Toro (Traffic) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), and Golden Globe nominee Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, There Will Be Blood). Emmy® winner Ben Stiller will executive produce and direct all eight episodes. The limited series is based on the stranger-than-fiction account of a prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015, which spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers who were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled. Production will begin later this year at the actual locations in upstate New York. Escape at Dannemora is the network’s next high-profile limited series, on the heels of the launch of the new TWIN PEAKS, which generated a record number of streaming service signups for SHOWTIME. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

- Having already kicked off “Weekend Blast with Ed Lover and Monie Love” (Saturday’s 7am-9am) this past weekend, Long Island’s party station Party 105.3FM is getting ready to premiere their brand new “Fresh, Fly, and Funny” weekday drive-time show hosted by none other than the hip hop legends themselves! The Ed Lover Show will bring not only classic hip hop music and celebrity interviews from the hottest artists and influencers of of today, but features that connect with a generation of urban trendsetters, as well as giving listeners a chance to give their own input through daily segments and contests!

Around the Tubes: 6/2/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Putin Interviews, Joss Stone, Commodores, Anna of the North, and Vikings.

- Showtime Documentary Films has released the first extended clip and new trailer for The Putin Interviews, a revealing series of conversations between renowned filmmaker Oliver Stone and Russia president Vladimir Putin. The Putin Interviews will have its world television premiere on Showtime over four consecutive nights starting on Monday, June 12 at 9:00.

- Joscelyn Eve Stoker, better-known as Joss Stone, was born in Dover, Kent, England, and grew up listening to singers like Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin, emulating their gritty, soulful style on her groundbreaking 2003 debut album, The Soul Sessions, Volume 1, which proved a worldwide sensation and will now be released on vinyl by UMe on May 26.

- Commodores, the 1977 self-titled fifth studio album by the pop-funk-soul band known as the “Black Beatles,” will get a vinyl LP release from UMe, along with a special edition in blue vinyl for fans and collectors, June 16. Both releases were cut from the original, un-faded masters, delivering on vinyl for the first time longer versions of seven of the nine tracks.

- ‘Lovers’, the debut album from Anna Of The North, will see its worldwide release on Friday 8th September. An album deeply rooted in heartbreak, it’s a subject that courses through the veins of all ten tracks – through the turmoil, the guilt and the tentative joy of finally letting yourself move on.


- Since 2013, Vikings, from creator and sole writer Michael Hirst (Academy Award® winning film Elizabeth and the Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated series The Tudors), has told the remarkable tales of the lives and epic adventures of the raiders and explores of the Dark Ages. Now fans will have the opportunity to enter the world of Vikings like never before, as Hugo Games A/S (OAX: HUGO), a mobile interactive entertainment developer and publisher of mobile games, today announced that it has partnered with MGM Interactive to release the first game based on the worldwide television hit drama series. Available for iOS, Android and Steam in 2018, Vikings: The Game, will be a player vs. player strategy game featuring characters from the TV series including Ragnar, Lagertha, Floki and Rollo. Providing an immersive gameplay experience combined with impressive graphics and a memorable soundtrack, Vikings: The Game will appeal to fans of the show and newcomers alike.

Around the Tubes: 5/26/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on I’m Dying Up Here, Gap Year, Oh Wonder, Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS, POV, Pretty Little Liars: A Reries Retrospective, Outrageous Acts of Danger, The Last Ship, Space's Deepest Secrets: Strange Signals From Alien Worlds, Sea Turtle Rescue, East Los High: Finale Event, and Pride Month.

- Showtime is giving viewers nationwide an early opportunity to sample the series premiere of the network’s highly anticipated new drama series I’m Dying Up Here for free, ahead of its on-air debut on Sunday, June 4 at 10:00. Starting today, consumers who do not subscribe to Showtime can watch the series premiere for free on YouTube and SHO.com. Consumers can also sample the premiere of I’m Dying Up Here across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites and applications and their free On Demand channels.

- From the BAFTA-nominated producers of the critically acclaimed series Glue and The Enfield Haunting, Gap Year, premieres exclusively on Hulu today, is an eight-part comedy-drama that follows a motley gang of travellers who embark on a three month trip around Asia. British lads Sean and Dylan meet American girls May and Ashley in Beijing and opt to undergo the first leg of their travels together, but soon find that their journey takes them much further than any of them expected. The series features a stellar writing team including Tom Basden (Fresh Meat), James Wood (Rev), Loren McLaughlan (Coronation Street), Amy Roberts (Shameless), Sam Leifer (Plebs), Charlie Covell (Banana), Tim Key (Alan Partridge) and Johnny Sweet (Together).

- Oh Wonder (Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West) have just shared a their new song “Heavy”, the fourth track to be released from their upcoming sophomore album, Ultralife which will be released later this summer on July 14th. “Heavy” follows Oh Wonder’s current single “Ultralife”, as well as previous releases “Lifetimes”, and “My Friends”. “Heavy” also launches with a video that stitches together 2665 individual photographs to create the allusion of the British duo dancing within a makeshift color cube, which you can watch HERE. Much of their new album Ultralife was written in New York City, where the duo resided for a period in between touring last year. Oh Wonder put the finishing touches to Ultralife, which was recorded and produced entirely by the duo, in South East London earlier this year. Ultralife is available now for Pre-Order HERE and Oh Wonder will be returning to the US this May for a run of tour dates which are listed below.

- Sebastian Junger's new documentary on Syria, Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film will have it's theatrical premiere on May 19 in NYC & LA and then TV premiere on National Geographic Channel on June 11. Hell on Earth chronicles Syria’s descent into the unbridled chaos that allowed the rise of ISIS.


- POV’s 30th season kicks off with a series of films on the Syrian war and the ongoing global refugee crisis. The first, Dalya’s Other Country, follows a young Syrian girl and her mother who have been displaced by the war at home and are adjusting to their new life in Los Angeles. The feature doc will premiere with two shorts also focusing on the refugee crisis. The Oscar®-nominated short 4.1 Miles spotlights a small Greek town on the sea and the coast guard’s daily efforts at saving thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. In From Damascus to Chicago, two Syrian siblings recently resettled in Chicago enroll in a dance class, and their entire family makes efforts to navigate a new city and country.

- Pretty Little Liars: A Reries Retrospective, streaming today on PEN Fan Forum. As the popular ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars comes to an end, PEN brings together stars Ashley Benson, Shay Mitchell, Lucy Hale, Troian Bellisario, Sasha Pieterse and executive producer I. Marlene King as they reflect on the show's seven-season run, the emotional final table read and whether or not a reboot is in their future. Go to People.com/PEN or download the PEN app on mobile or connected-TV devices, and join the conversation with @PeopleEWNetwork.

- The laws of physics are absolute. They bind us together, tether us to Earth and govern everything we do, yet we rarely think about them. In the new Science Channel series Outrageous Acts of Danger, adventurer Todd Sampson puts his faith in science to the ultimate test through a series of epic and potentially deadly experiments. Outrageous Acts of Danger, premiering Wednesday, June 21 at 10:00, shows that it is one thing to believe in science, but another to literally trust it with your life.
In each of the six 30-minutes episodes, Todd, who once completed an unguided ascent to the top of Mount Everest, puts himself in a death-defying situation, however, the laws of physics dictate that he will escape unscathed. Todd calls upon leading physicists and experts who guarantee that the science behind each experiment is irrefutable, absent of human error.

- TNT's epic drama The Last Ship returns with a new mission to save humanity as the world continues to struggle for survival. Eric Dane, Bridget Regan, Adam Baldwin, Charles Parnell, Travis Van Winkle, Marissa Neitling, Christina Elmore, Jocko Sims, Bren Foster and Kevin Michael Martin star in this action-packed series chronicling the aftermath of a global catastrophe that nearly decimates the world's population. The fourth season of The Last Ship is slated to launch with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 9:00, across TNT platforms.

- For centuries we’ve looked up at the night sky and wondered, are we alone? We’ve sent probes to the farthest reaches of the Solar System and broadcast messages out into the depths of space, but in all that time we’ve heard nothing back, until now. In the last few years a mysterious signal from space has shaken astronomy to its core. A special episode of Space's Deepest Secrets, tells the story of a genuine scientific mystery, the recent discovery, confirmation, and on-going attempts to understand the origin of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), enigmatic pulses from deep space that have so-far defied explanation. Theories of their origin range from colliding stars, to alien beacons created by an advanced civilization. Space's Deepest Secrets: Strange Signals From Alien Worlds premieres Tuesday, June 6 at 9:00 on Science Channel.

- At the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center, wildlife heroes spend countless hours rehabilitating sea turtles back to health and safety with sheer determination and compassion. Smithsonian Earth’s new, original series, Sea Turtle Rescue, sheds light on each journey to recovery, from the time they are brought into the hospital to the moment they return home at sea. This new six-part, short-form series takes viewers to the front lines with the staff who are dedicated to helping preserve the endangered sea turtles, from massive loggerheads to the Kemp’s ridley, the world’s smallest and most endangered. All six episodes of Sea Turtle Rescue begin streaming exclusively on Tuesday, May 23 on Smithsonian Earth, available on Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, and at SmithsonianEarthTV.com.

- - Hulu has renewed East Los High for a final 60-minute event, titled East Los High: Finale Event to premiere Fall 2017 on Hulu.

- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and FilmStruck will celebrate Pride Month this June with extensive movie lineups dedicated to exploring LGBT themes in cinema. Honoring a number of LGBT actors and artists whose talents helped them overcome the roadblocks they faced because of their orientation or gender identity, TCM will spotlight Gay Hollywood, hosted by entertainment journalist Dave Karger and author and historian William Mann, every Thursday in June, and FilmStruck will present a Gay and Lesbian Cinema showcase, hosted by film critic Alonso Duralde.

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Around the Tubes: 5/12/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Twin Peaks, Guerrilla, Little Steven, Brian Wilson, Maggie Rogers, 45th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Diane Keaton, and SMILF.

- Showtime has released a new video teaser from the limited event series Twin Peaks, which will debut with a two-part premiere on Sunday, May 21 at 9:00 on air, on demand and over the internet. To watch and share the new Twin Peaks promo, which reveals a glimpse at some new and returning faces.


- The critically acclaimed SHOWTIME limited event series Guerrilla will air its final two episodes back-to-back on Sunday, May 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on air, on demand and over the internet. As the series comes to a close, Marcus (Babou Ceesay) and Jas (Screen Actors Guild Award® winner Freida Pinto) are tested in the wake of tragic loss. Meanwhile, Kent’s (Golden Globe® winner Idris Elba) actions have a disastrous effect on the black community, while the Black Power Desk launches a reign of terror. Infighting threatens to split the radicals, throwing their final mission into jeopardy. Can they come together in time?


- Little Steven shares his new song "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town," co-written with Bruce Springsteen, from his eagerly anticipated new album, SOULFIRE (Wicked Cool/Big Machine/UMe). "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town" is the third song the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has released from the album set to arrive everywhere on Friday, May 19th. Entertainment Weekly premiered the song last week. Pre-order SOULFIRE here.

- With one of the most in-demand concert outings the last year music legend Brian Wilson is once again extending the final performance run of his critically-acclaimed Pet Sounds 50TH Anniversary World Tour and announcing a slate of new UK, European and North American show dates for 2017 to celebrate the iconic Pet Sounds album for a final time. Currently on tour now in the US, additional performances will be added in Hawaii, UK and Europe this summer, and again in the summer with 22 new dates overseas and 20+ new fall dates added in the U.S. VIP ticket pre-sales begin today with general on-sale beginning Friday May 12. A full list of tour dates is below with up-to-date ticketing, show information and more at BrianWilson.com.

- Maggie Rogers: Alaska on Late Night with Seth Myers


- Following the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Diane Keaton on June 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Turner's TNT will televise the celebration as a one-hour special, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Diane Keaton, premiering Thursday, June 15, at 10:00. Sister network Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will then encore the special on Monday, July 31, during a night of programming dedicated to Keaton's work. This marks the fifth year the Emmy®-winning AFI special has aired on Turner networks.

- Showtime has announced the pick-up of the new half-hour comedy series SMILF from Frankie Shaw, based on her Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winning short film of the same name. The series order will include 10 episodes that will begin airing this fall. Set in Boston, SMILF will take a raw and honest comedic look at a single, 20-something from Southie whose desires for relationships, sex, and a career collide with the realities of young, single motherhood. Shaw will star, write, produce and direct the semi-autobiographical comedy, with Oscar® nominee Michael London (Sideways) and Emmy® nominees Janice Williams (Confirmation), Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (The Office, Bad Teacher) executive producing. Multiple Emmy winner Rosie O’Donnell will co-star in her first series regular TV role as “Tutu”, Bridgette’s (Shaw) mother, who is completely oblivious to social convention. The series is produced by ABC Signature Studios as a co-production with Showtime.

Around the Tubes: 5/5/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Twin Peaks,
Power, Emogenius, Becoming Carey Grant, The Putin Interviews, America's Secret Space Heroes, Tony Lucca, Alisan Porter, Karoondinha Music & Arts Festival, Freakish, and The Looming Tower.

- Showtime has released a new promo from the limited event series Twin Peaks, which will debut with a two-part premiere on Sunday, May 21 at 9:00 on air, on demand and over the internet.


- Starz announced the highly-anticipated Season Four return of the #1 hit STARZ Original series Power on Sunday, June 25, starting at 12:01 am on the STARZ app and On Demand. The network on-air premiere will be at its regularly scheduled time of 9:00 pm ET/PT. Season Four of “Power” will consist 10 one-hour episodes.


- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today the premiere of its newest game show, Emogenius, hosted by Hunter March (AwesomenessTV). The show debuts Wednesday, June 7 at 9:00pm ET/PT (8pm CT) with back-to-back episodes.


- Showtime Documentary Films will debut the new documentary Becoming Carey Grant, a definitive biography of the extraordinary Hollywood icon, at the Cannes Film Festival. Following the festival, the film will have its world television debut on Showtime on Friday, June 9 at 9:00 on air, on demand and over the internet. Directed by Mark Kidel (Elvis Costello: Mystery Dance, A Journey With Peter Sellars), the captivating biopic reveals Cary Grant’s inner search to find himself at the height of his fame.


- – Showtime Documentary Films will release The Putin Interviews, a revealing series of interviews between renowned filmmaker Oliver Stone and Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who has reemerged as the central antagonist and wild card to the United States on the world stage. The Putin Interviews will have its world television premiere on SHOWTIME over four consecutive nights starting on Monday, June 12 at 9:00.


- America’s conquest of space may be our nation’s finest moment. But behind the faces of fearless astronauts like John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin and a crusading president stood an army of unsung heroes and heroines: the engineers, mathematicians, designers and technicians who actually built the machines that put humanity in space. AMERICA’S SECRET SPACE HEROES unearths the untold stories of the space program – from the men and woman who created everything from the Saturn V moon rocket to the first successful Mars lander. America's Secret Space Heroes premieres on Smithsonian Channel on Sunday, May 14 at 9:00.

- Nashville-based singer-songwriter Tony Lucca has confirmed a residency in Nashville this summer with a series of four free shows at The Country (110 28th Avenue North, Nashville) on June 28th (8 p.m.), July 27th (6 p.m.), August 23rd (8 p.m.), and September 6th (8 p.m.). Billed as “Tony Lucca and Friends,” the residency is an opportunity for Lucca to work on some new material for a forthcoming album in a live setting. “I plan on getting into the studio at some point this year for a new record, so I will be utilizing the shows to work out some new material and putting songs up on their feet for the first time in front of an audience,” says Lucca. “That environment can be extremely helpful and constructive. And hopefully entertaining.”

- Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and history-making Season 10 victor of NBC's The Voice Alisan Porter released her brand new single "Deep Water" at all digital retailers, now trending on iTunes at number 18. Available now on iTunes and Spotify. On Tuesday May 2, she made her triumphant return to NBC's The Voice for the song's very first television performance. Watch her perform her new single HERE now.

- wk Eye Presents, LLC announces its full artist lineup for the first annual Karoondinha Music & Arts Festival {pronounced ka-roon-din-ha} to take place on Friday, July 21, Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, 2017, with a kick-off party on Thursday, July 20th at Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park, America’s only all-water cavern and wildlife park in Centre Hall, PA. Set on 1,600 unspoiled acres of rolling hills and rich farmland, the festival site, the largest in the northeast, boasts acres of sunflowers, world-class trout fishing, off-road tours, native North American wildlife, including mountain lions, wolves, bison, bears, longhorn cattle, bighorn sheep and more.

- Hulu and AwesomenessTV announced this week that Freakish will be returning for a second season.

- Hulu announced this week that Alec Baldwin has been cast as a guest star in Hulu's original new drama series The Looming Tower.

Around the Tubes: 4/28/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on American Race, Labyrinth, Diana Ross, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee's "Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner", Losing Sight of Shore, Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery, People of Earth, and The Detour.

- TNT has released a trailer for its new docu-series series American Race with host Charles Barkley:


- Extending the 30th anniversary celebration of the beloved film, Labyrinth, Jim Henson’s mesmerizing and enduring fantasy classic, David Bowie and Trevor Jones’ iconic soundtrack will be remastered and reissued on vinyl on May 12 for the first time since its original 1986 release. Long out of print, the album, which was remastered at Capitol Studios, will be available on high quality 120gm black vinyl and include the faithfully replicated original jacket and artwork, including the original EMI America logo and the printed inner sleeve featuring photos of Bowie from the film. Pre-order Labyrinth here.

- Sought after by collectors and considered the rarest of Motown’s rare grooves, Diana Ross’ diana – the original CHIC mix, will make its long-awaited debut on vinyl on April 21, on Motown/UMe/UMGI, with a twist: it will be a double-LP set on pink vinyl at 45rpm for maximum fidelity. This edition of diana includes alternate-mix versions of such classics as “Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out,” as envisioned by Chic’s Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame member Nile Rodgers and the late Bernard Edwards.

- Turner's TBS is crying-with-joy-emoji to announce that Full Frontal with Samantha Bee's "Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner" will stream on Twitter following the special's premiere on TBS. Hosted by Samantha Bee, the event will take place at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29. It will then air that evening as a one-hour special on TBS at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), with an additional broadcast on Twitter at 11 p.m. (ET). Fans on Twitter in the United States will be able to access the stream by going to samanthabee.twitter.com, as well as via the @FullFrontalSamB Twitter handle.

- Elvis Costello will bring his legendary guitar licks and vocal stylings to Washington, D.C., this Saturday, April 29, when he performs at the official after-party for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee's first annual Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner, presented by TBS.

- Losing Sight of Shore follows the extraordinary journey of four brave women known as the Coxless Crew that set out to row the Pacific Ocean from America to Australia unsupported. As they row over 8,000 miles during their nine months at sea, they face extreme mental and physical challenges they must overcome in order to go down in history. Available on Netflix May 1.

- Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery; Stars: Courtney Thorne-Smith (“According to Jim,” “Melrose Place”) and James Tupper (“Revenge,” “Big Little Lies”). Emma (Thorne-Smith) is a brilliant, dedicated, and driven archaeologist who discovers artifacts that have been lost for hundreds of years--and she's very, very good at it. Emma has recently unearthed evidence of a possible 17th century coastal Maine settlement that predates Jamestown, one of the most significant archaeological finds in years. But the dead body she uncovers on the site pushes Emma into a different kind of exploration. Her dig site is suddenly in jeopardy of being shut down, due to the meddling of local treasure-hunters and a second suspicious murder. Emma must team with the handsome FBI Agent investigating the case to dig up dirt on the killer, before Emma and her excavation are ancient history. Premieres Sunday, June 4 (9 p.m. ET/PT) on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

- Saturday Night Live alum Nasim Pedrad (Scream Queens, New Girl) has joined TBS's hit comedy People of Earth as a series regular, beginning this summer with the show's second season. People of Earth centers on a group of alien abductees – or "experiencers" – living in the small town of Beacon, N.Y. The series is executive-produced by Emmy® winners Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels, along with creator David Jenkins and showrunner Norm Hiscock.

- Turner's TBS has ordered a third season of its hit series The Detour, cable's most watched original comedy for the year-to-date. Created, written and executive-produced by Jason Jones and Samantha Bee, The Detour is an all-too-honest look at the family dynamic. Jones stars in the acclaimed comedy with Natalie Zea, Ashley Gerasimovich, Liam Carroll and Daniella Pineda.

Around the Tubes: 4/21/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Bob Marley & the Wailers, Sheryl Crow, Will, Animal Kingdom, American Race, Jackson, Al MadrigalL: Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy, Power, and Alfa Anderson.

- Bob Marley & the Wailers’ classic Exodus album, the ninth studio album of the band, was released on June 3, 1977, featuring a new backing band including brothers Carlton and Aston “Family Man” Barrett on drums and bass, Tyrone Downie on keyboards, Alvin “Seeco” Patterson on percussion, and the I Threes, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley on backing vocals, and newest member Julian “Junior Marvin” on guitar. The album was released on June 3, 1977, just six months after an assassination attempt was made on Bob Marley's life in Jamaica in December, forcing him to flee to London, where Exodus was recorded. On June 2, UMe will release a version of Exodus 40 - The Movement Continues in a two-CD package that includes the original album and the Ziggy Marley “restatement”; a three-CD set (and digital equivalent) that includes the original Exodus, Exodus 40 - The Movement Continues and Exodus Live. A limited edition gold vinyl version of the original 1977 album will also be available.

- Tune in to the AUDIENCE Network concert special Sheryl Crow airing Friday, April 21, at 9:00 via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and DIRECTV NOW. As she nears the release of her ninth studio album titled Be Myself--out April 21 via Warner Bros. Records--multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter, and musician Sheryl Crow will be the featured artist on AT&T AUDIENCE Network. The show will delve into the American music icon's history in an interview with series host Ted Stryker as well as a full concert featuring her hits and new fan favorites.

- In celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday on Sunday, April 23, TNT is releasing the premiere date and a new trailer for its upcoming series Will, slated to launch on Monday, July 10, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) across TNT's U.S. platforms.

- n anticipation of the return of Animal Kingdom, check out the latest trailer featuring season two of TNT’s hit series. Brace yourself for what the Codys are up to as family bonds are broken and new alliances are formed. The second season of Animal Kingdom is slated to launch Tuesday, May 30, at 9:00 on TNT.


In celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday on Sunday, April 23, TNT is releasing the premiere date and a new trailer for its upcoming series Will, slated to launch on Monday, July 10, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) across TNT's U.S. platforms.


- Showtime will air the television premiere of the critically acclaimed documentary Jackson on Tuesday, May 2 at 7:30. From award-winning director Maisie Crow (A Life Alone, The Last Clinic), Jackson is an intimate look at the lives of three women caught in the complex issues surrounding access to abortion in the Deep South.


- In American Race, formerly The Race Card, a two-night television event from Turner's TNT, Charles Barkley is taking a journey across the country to explore the issue of race from different angles and engage in thoughtful but spirited dialogue with a diverse cross section of Americans. He brings with him a truly ambitious goal of building the kind of mutual understanding that can lead to productive solutions. TNT's American Race will air over two nights – Thursday, May 11, and Friday, May 12 – with two episodes each night at 9 and 10 p.m. (ET/PT).

- Comedian and I’m Dying Up Here star Al Madrigal returns to the stage in the debut of his new one-hour comedy special Al MadrigalL: Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy on Friday, May 5 at 9:00. ET/PT on Showtime. Madrigal’s sidesplitting stand-up kicks off the first of three standalone comedy specials from the stars of the new Showtime drama series I’m Dying Up Here premiering Sunday, June 4 at 10:00. Following Madrigal’s special will be the premieres of Andrew Santigo: Home Field Adventure on Friday, June 2 and Erik Griffin: The Ugly Truth on Friday, July 7.

- Starz’s most watched series ever returns when Power: The Complete Third Season arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on June 13 from Lionsgate. With record-breaking ratings for its premiere, season three — with its all-star cast, including Omari Hardwick (TV’s ”Being Mary Jane”), Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (The Hangover), and Naturi Naughton (TV’s “Mad Men”) — finds James St. Patrick fighting to maintain his new lifestyle on the right side of the law.

- Alfa Anderson, former member of the iconic funk soul band Chic (Le Freak, Good Times, Everybody Dance), will release a new single, "When Luther Sings," in honor of her longtime friend Luther Vandross 66th birthday. The rousing, heartfelt tribute is written by Anderson and co-produced by multi-talented Bert Price. Available nationwide on April 20, When Luther Sings is the first single from Anderson’s long-awaited debut solo album, From My Heart (set for release summer 2017).

Around the Tubes: 4/14/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on BarkFest, Rise, Hollywood Game Night, The Path, and The Arrangement.

- Nat Geo WILD’s third annual BarkFest weekend is a celebration of our furever friends. We turn up the cuteness factor with new specials Puppies vs. The World, and Boss Dog, and are serving up fun dog-focused episodes of Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation, Pet Talk and The Incredible Dr. Pol. The third annual BarkFest premieres on Friday, April 14, on Nat Geo WILD.
Highlights include:

Puppies vs. The World (Premieres Friday, April 14 at 8:00): For puppies, it’s a brand-new world out there, full of obstacles, setbacks and amazing new experiences. We challenge puppies to do the simplest tasks like drink water, climb stairs and escape the clutches of a toddler, and the outcome is uproarious misadventure. Along the way, we include quick and fascinating facts about puppy development and peek in on The Puppy House, which is just what is sounds like: a house full of puppies!

Boss Dog (Premieres Saturday, April 15 at 9:00): As one of Los Angeles’ top dog trainers, Stevo Henderson is on a mission to help dog owners achieve their perfect dog through his innovative training methods and uncanny understanding of canine behavior. Stevo doesn't just train dogs — he saves relationships through his coaching and assured leadership. Watch Stevo work through struggles with owners, help dogs that others have given up on and ultimately celebrate small and large victories together.

- Showtime Documentary Films will release Rise, the latest documentary from Academy Award winner Laura Poitras (CITIZENFOUR). Filmed over six years including through the 2016 presidential election and up to the present moment, RISK takes viewers closer than they have ever been before to Julian Assange and those who surround him. With unprecedented access, Poitras give us the WikiLeaks story from the inside, allowing viewers to understand our current era of massive leaks, headline-grabbing news, and the revolutionary impact of the internet on global politics. RISK is a portrait of power, principles, betrayal, and sacrifice when the stakes could not be any higher. It is a first-person geopolitical thriller told from the perspective of a filmmaker immersed in the worlds of state surveillance and the cypherpunk movement. RISK confirms Poitras' directorial ability to record history as it unfolds on camera, and craft narratives at the highest level. Showtime Networks has partnered with NEON to release Rise theatrically nationwide, with a television premiere on SHOWTIME this summer.

- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today it will begin airing the first four seasons of the hit game show, Hollywood Game Night, beginning with a special five-night event, with the show airing Monday through Friday at 9:00 beginning Monday, April 17. The show will then move into its regular Tuesdays at 9:00 and 10:00 timeslots beginning April 25.

- Hulu renewed The Path for a third season.

- Discover the fascinating musical fusions that propelled Latin music to the top of the US charts with Latin Music USA, coming back for audiences on Fridays, April 28th and May 5th at 9:00 P.M. ET (check local listings). Produced by public media leader WGBH Boston in co-production with the BBC, this two-part, four-hour documentary explores the Latin rhythms that influenced jazz, rock, country, and rhythm and blues, highlighting the enduring contributions made by Latino musicians to the American songbook.

- This week, Hulu renewed The Path for a third season.

- E! Entertainment has greenlit a second season of its latest original scripted series The Arrangement. From Universal Cable Productions and Emmy Award-Winning writer/EP Jonathan Abrahams (“Mad Men”), the series debuted Sunday, March 5 at 10:00. Starring Josh Henderson (“Dallas”), Christine Evangelista (“The Walking Dead”), Lexa Doig (“Continuum”) and Michael Vartan (“Alias”), this multi-layered, sophisticated Hollywood love story brings to life the darker side of fame. Season two will consist of 10, one-hour episodes.

Around the Tubes: 4/8/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Origins, I’m Dying Up Here, Claws, Meg Mac, The Circus: Inside the Biggest Story on Earth, Warning: This Drug May Kill You, NASA’s Unexplained Files, Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Nightmare on Everest, Biblical Conspiracies: Jesus Family Tomb?, Stevie Wonder, VH1 Hip Hop Squares, and Showtime.

- National Geographic’s new original series Origins is a full-sensory, time-travel adventure that delves deep into history to find the pivotal ‘origin’ moments that fueled our evolutionary ascension. While we are in a fast-growing technological age fueled by smart phones, satellites and the ‘next big discovery,’ Origins pauses to probe the biggest questions in the universe: How did we get here? How did Homo Sapiens evolve from apes swinging tree to tree to astronauts walking on the surface of the moon? On Monday, April 10, Origins turns its focus to the very important issue of Shelter. Shelter is one of our most basic human needs—and while we have come a long way from the cave dwellings of pre-historic times, one fact is inescapable: From treetops to skyscrapers, shelter, in any form, it is the foundation of human race.

- Yesterday, Showtime debuted the new trailer for the network’s one-hour drama series I’m Dying Up Here, which will kick off the Showtime summer lineup on Sunday, June 4 at 10:00. The fictional series explores L.A.’s famed ’70s stand-up comedy scene and stars Academy Award® winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Treme), Ari Graynor (Bad Teacher), Michael Angarano (The Knick), Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine), Andrew Santino (Mixology), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), RJ Cyler (Power Rangers), Al Madrigal (The Daily Show) and Jake Lacy (Obvious Child) as part of a large ensemble cast. The series is created and executive produced by Dave Flebotte and executive produced by Golden Globe® winner Jim Carrey, Michael Aguilar and Christina Wayne.


- TNT's Claws is a midnight-dark, wickedly funny meditation on female badness set in a Central Florida nail salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures. Niecy Nash (Getting On, The Soul Man), Carrie Preston (True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost, Oz), Jenn Lyon (Justified), Judy Reyes (Scrubs), Karrueche Tran (The Nice Guys), Jason Antoon (Famous in Love), Kevin Rankin (Dallas Buyers Club, Friday Night Lights), Jack Kesy (The Strain) and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) star in this hour-long dramedy. Claws is slated to launch across TNT's television, mobile and digital platforms on Sunday, June 11, at 9:00.


- MEG MAC is back with her keenly anticipated new single ‘Low Blows’, a dynamic, soulful, personal exhortation that’s distinctly and uniquely MEG MAC. Recorded in Fort Worth, Texas at the Niles City Sound Studio with additional production at Electric Lady in New York. The song premiered exclusively on W Magazine.

- All eyes are on Donald Trump as he takes his first major military action as president, launching an air attack on Syria at the end of a week when three heads of state visit America, North Korea stages a missile launch, and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee steps aside from the investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. In this season’s fourth episode, “The Whole World is Watching,” The Circus: Inside the Biggest Story on Earth takes an in-depth look at Trump’s foreign policy and its implications as the new Commander in Chief grapples with the most serious global challenges he has faced so far. Airing Sunday, April 9, at 8:00 on Showtime, the episode features conversations with lawmakers and national security experts, as well as on-the-ground coverage of the visit of the Chinese president to Mar-a-Lago.

- With nearly a hundred Americans dying everyday from opioid overdoses, the U.S. currently faces the worst drug epidemic in its history. More people die from opioid overdoses annually in the U.S. than from car accidents or gun homicides, a number that has quadrupled since 1999. From journalist Perri Peltz (HBO’s “Risky Drinking”), Warning: This Drug May Kill You tells devastating personal stories of families who have lost a loved one to an opioid overdose, all of them the result of addictions that started with doctors’ prescriptions of dangerous painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet. Also featuring harrowing pictures and cellphone videos, the documentary puts a human face on the epidemic of U.S. opioid addiction and its grave consequences when it debuts Monday, MAY 1 at 10:00, exclusively on HBO.

- Outer space is still largely an uncharted frontier filled with wonder and secrets. Over the years, bold pioneers have uncovered interstellar wonders including cosmic bodies, far away galaxies, and alien worlds. These groundbreaking explorations and findings are uncovered in two Science Channel returning series, Space's Deepest Secrets, premiering April 11 at 9PM ET/PT, and NASA’s Unexplained Files, premiering April 12 at 9:00.

- The stars will be out in Washington, D.C. later this month when TBS's late-night hit Full Frontal with Samantha Bee presents the first annual Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Samantha Bee, who has been hailed by The New Yorker as "America's new Comedian-in-Chief," will host the evening's festivities from D.C.'s largest concert hall, DAR Constitution Hall. This special installment of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee will premiere Saturday, April 29, at 10:00 on TBS.

- The spectacular natural beauty of the Himalayas draws thousands of tourists and thrill-seekers to Nepal every year, but the same great forces that created the beautiful mountains also have the power to destroy. In April 2015, a violent 7.8 magnitude earthquake triggered deadly landslides and avalanches across the country. On the second anniversary of the fatal disaster, Nightmare on Everest shares the exclusive stories of climbers on Mount Everest and hikers in Langtang National Park who survived, recounting their experience with never-before-broadcast footage and interviews. Produced by Arrow Media, Nightmare on Everest premieres on Smithsonian Channel, Monday, April 24 at 9:00.

- It is one of the most controversial ancient artifacts ever found and the center of a decade long controversy. The James Ossuary, a burial bone box that dates to the 1st century, has on it, an inscription that states, “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” It has been considered by some to be fake, by others to be the first piece of hard archaeological evidence of the physical existence of Jesus of Nazareth. Biblical historian Simcha Jacobovici helps unpack the mystery surrounding this potentially explosive find in Biblical Conspiracies: Jesus Family Tomb?, premiering Easter weekend, Saturday, April 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Science Channel.

- Around the world, millions of people depend on fish for food and livelihood. But what if official government data is drastically underestimating how many fish are being caught? How close are we to a global catastrophe? Government and industry regulators track the quantity of fish caught and claim the oceans can handle it, but global fish numbers have dropped significantly in recent decades. A new Smithsonian Channel special showcases an exhaustive 15-year investigation – from the Atlantic coastline to the reefs of the Bahamas and the shores of Senegal – to reveal stark new findings about our marine ecosystems. Narrated by actor and conservationist Ted Danson, a passionate advocate for the world’s oceans, An Ocean Mystery: The Missing Catch premieres on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, announces that it will honor legendary musician Stevie Wonder with its inaugural “Key of Life” Award at this year’s ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO in Los Angeles, April 13 – 15, where he will also appear in a keynote “I Create Music” session.

- VH1, Ice Cube and his Cube Vision production company in conjunction with Jesse Collins Entertainment, Scott St. John and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm, today announced that VH1 Hip Hop Squares has been renewed for a second season. The series debuted to over 3.2 million viewers across premiere night plays, is the #1 non-sports cable show in its time period with P18-34 and ranked as VH1’s highest rated new series in a year.

- For the first time, Showtime Networks is offering subscribers to the Showtime stand-alone streaming service and SHOWTIME ANYTIME the ability to download programming on mobile devices and tablets – allowing viewers to watch content offline at no extra cost.

Around the Tubes: 3/31/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Supremes, Ice, The Real Jesus of Nazareth, Outlaw Tech, Latin Music USA, Disgraced, What Happens at The Abbey, and The Mindy Project.

- By the time Motown released The Supremes A’ Go-Go, the group’s ninth studio album, on August 25, 1966, the group had already scaled the charts with hits like “Where Did Our Love Go?,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Back in My Arms Again” and “I Hear a Symphony.” UMe will now reissue the classic album in a deluxe, expanded two-CD edition, featuring the original 12 tracks, featuring both the stereo album, along with rare mono album mixes, alternative vocal versions and mixes, as well as a duet of “Shake Me Wake Me (When It’s Over)” with the Four Tops. There are also rarely heard album outtakes, such as covers of fellow ‘60s stalwarts Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satsifaction.”

- On May 16, go deep into the dark, dangerous underbelly of the diamond trade with Ice, exec produced by Antoine Fuqua (The Magnificent Seven). Featuring a stellar ensemble cast with Jeremy Sisto, Cam Gigandet, Donald Sutherland and Ray Winstone, Ice: Season One is a gritty, high-octane series sure to thrill home audiences. We'd love to help usher you into the thrilling, stylized LA underworld of ICE in a few different ways.

- Starring no less than seven Academy Award® winners, the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth was a global television event – one of the most celebrated TV biographies of Jesus ever made. Now, 40 years later, the actor who portrayed the Son of God, Robert Powell, is returning to the Holy Land to seek out clues to the real historical figure who inspired Christianity. The Real Jesus of Nazareth, a new four-part series, will premiere on Easter Sunday, April 16 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- State of the art science, thrilling suspense, unforgettable characters. These are the true stories of a new wild west, where biology, physics, chemistry, and technology are tools of the outlaw trade. With complex security systems designed to stop the world’s most nefarious criminal masterminds, a new Science Channel series goes inside amazing capers to unpack the high-tech arsenal used on both sides of the law. Outlaw Tech premieres Wednesday, April 26 at 10:00.

- Discover the fascinating musical fusions that propelled Latin music to the top of the US charts with Latin Music USA, coming back for audiences on Fridays, April 28th and May 5th at 9:00 (check local listings). Produced by public media leader WGBH Boston in co-production with the BBC, this two-part, four-hour documentary explores the Latin rhythms that influenced jazz, rock, country, and rhythm and blues, highlighting the enduring contributions made by Latino musicians to the American songbook.

- Showtime released an exclusive clip from the anticipated documentary film Disgraced featuring former Baylor University men’s basketball assistant coach Abar Rouse and secret audio recordings of former head coach Dave Bliss.


- E! goes behind the bar and takes an inside look at the lives of the employees of the world-famous hot spot when its new docu-series What Happens at The Abbey premieres on Sunday, May 14th at 10:00. Located in the heart of Los Angeles’ West Hollywood neighborhood, The Abbey, hailed as the “Best Gay Bar in the World,” is an institution where labels are abandoned, inclusion is paramount and everyone, regardless of their sexuality comes to mix and mingle with celebrities.

- Johnny Galecki will appear in and executive produce Scijinks (wt), a new Science Channel series scheduled to premiere in 4th quarter 2017. SCIJINKS will use cutting-edge science as the foundation for outrageous stunts and practical jokes, creating the smartest prank show on television. The announcement was made today by Marc Etkind, General Manager of Science Channel.

- Hulu has renewed The Mindy Project for its sixth and final season to premiere September 2017 on Hulu.

Around the Tubes: 3/24/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Barenaked Ladies, Sublime, The Handmaid’s Tale, Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, Bob Hope Salutes the Troops, The Lost Tapes: LA Riots, Amy Lee, Kansas, The Looming Tower, Difficult People, and Shut Eye.

- Barenaked Ladies have partnered with PledgeMusic in support of their forthcoming album, Ladies And Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies And The Persuasions, a collaboration between BNL and the legendary "Kings of A capella". As part of their pre-order campaign, the band is offering a collection of exclusive merchandise, available today. Ladies And Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies And The Persuasions is set for release on April 14, 2017.

- Sublime has something special brewing for their fans in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their seminal debut album "40oz. to Freedom." The band, hailing from Long Beach, has enlisted the help of craft beer stalwart AleSmith Brewing Company, operating out of San Diego, to brew this namesake beverage. AleSmith Brewing Co. is brewing a Mexican-style lager on behalf of Sublime. There are plans for national distribution of the beer in 12oz. six-pack cans through AleSmith's supply channels with an initial small batch of limited edition 40oz. bottles to be made available for sale from the brewery, as reported by Rolling Stone.

- The Handmaid’s Tale Trailer (Official):


- Morgan Freeman returns to host the final four episodes of the multiple Emmy® nominated series Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman beginning Tuesday, April 25 at 10PM ET/PT on Science Channel. Freeman will challenge audiences once again to think about daring questions while taking a deeper look at the science behind topics such as hidden forces in the universe, aging, the future of Earth, and gun violence.
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Bob Hope's legendary NBC-TV comedy and Christmas specials - some of the most-watched programs in television history -- spanned five decades, from President Truman to Clinton. And, this May, Bob Hope Salutes the Troops, a timeless 3-disc set from Time Life®, collects some of the legendary performer's greatest and most patriotic holiday specials, including seven classic shows from the '60s to the '90s, re-mastered from original broadcast elements for optimal viewing

- On the afternoon of April 29, 1992, the acquittal of four white LAPD officers in the beating of a black motorist named Rodney King set off an explosion of anger and frustration that erupted into deadly riots and devastated the already precarious social climate in Los Angeles. Resentment against the police, which had a reputation for using excessive force, turned the city into a war zone. This latest installment of Smithsonian Channel’s chilling series The Lost Tapes recaptures the chaotic days following the Rodney King verdict with powerful media coverage, home videos, gripping photographs and LAPD recordings. The documentary also includes some never-before-heard Los Angeles Fire Department dispatch calls, in which firefighters in the field are desperately pleading for police backup as they were being fired upon. The ultimate in authentic storytelling, this unique and immersive approach features no interviews or recreations – just the story as captured by video cameras and media reports at the time. The Lost Tapes: LA Riots premieres Sunday, April 23 at 8:00 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the events.

- Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee is proud to unveil her new single, “Speak To Me,” the end title theme from the upcoming suspense/drama, Voice From The Stone. Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke stars in the film alongside Marton Csokas, Caterina Murino, Remo Girone, Lisa Gastoni, and Edward Dring. Directed by Eric Howell and scored by Michael Wandmacher, the haunting thriller set in 1950’s Tuscany opens in the US on April 28th in limited theaters and VOD everywhere. USA Today premiered the movie trailer on Tuesday, which can be viewed here. The trailer received over 1 million views in its first 24 hours.

- Kansas will be expanding their highly successful Leftoverture 40th Anniversary Tour to more parts of the United States in the fall of 2017! Billboard announced the expansion of the tour in an exclusive article and interview here.

- Hulu announced this week that Peter Sarsgaard (Jackie, Experimenter, Blue Jasmine) has been cast in Hulu's original new drama series The Looming Tower.

- Hulu announced this week that John Cho (Star Trek Beyond) has been cast in season three of Hulu’s original comedy series Difficult People.

- Hulu announced this week that Original drama series Shut Eye will return for a second season.

Around the Tubes: 3/18/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Impossible Engineering, Drop the Mic, Animal Kingdom, Emogenius, The Looming Tower and Ray Donovan.

-Today’s feats of modern engineering are truly spectacular and keep getting bigger, stronger, and more impressive. These massive have revolutionized how we travel, do business, protect our nations, and see the world. Science Channel explores these incredible achievements in an all-new season of Impossible Engineering, returning Thursday, March 30 at 9:00.

- Music icon Method Man and supermodel Hailey Baldwin are ready to pick up the mic as the hosts of TBS's Drop the Mic, the new comedic music series from executive producers James Corden, Ben Winston and Jensen Karp. The pair have been tapped to emcee the celebrity battle rap competition based on the enormously popular segment from the Emmy®-winning series The Late Late Show with James Corden. Drop the Mic, which is also co-executive-produced by Ed Thomas, will launch on Turner's TBS on Tuesday, May 2, at 10:00. The series is produced for TBS by CBS Television Studios and Fulwell 73.

- In celebration of Animal Kingdom coming to South by Southwest this Saturday, March 11, TNT is releasing a first-look clip from the Season 2 premiere, with the Cody clan back in action and beginning to fracture. Animal Kingdom Season 2 premieres Tuesday, May 30, at 9:00 on TNT. Check out the first-look clip from the Season 2 premiere of Animal Kingdom


- GSN, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, announced today its new programming and other initiatives, as part of the network’s 2017 Upfronts, with a focus on its core “shiny floor” game shows. GSN has greenlit a new game show series, Emogenius, and the network’s other new addition to the lineup, Divided, which launched in January 2017, has been picked up for a second season following its successful debut. Freshman hit, Winsanity, hosted by Donald Faison (“Scrubs”) returns for a second season with a new format, and perennial favorite, Idiotest, hosted by comedian Ben Gleib recently launched its fourth season.

- Hulu announced this week that Emmy Award-winning actor Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom, The Martian, Steve Jobs) has been cast to star in Hulu's original new drama series The Looming Tower.

- Showtime Networks announced that Oscar® winner and four-time Emmy®-nominated actress Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking) will appear on the hit drama series RAY DONOVAN in a season-long guest arc. Sarandon will play Samantha Winslow, the strong, focused head of a motion picture studio. Ray Donovan returns for its fifth season this summer.

Around the Tubes: 3/10/17

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Guerrilla, The Handmaid’s Tale, Our Dream of Water, Brandy Clark, Disgraced, Juliana Hatfield, 50 Cent, Frankly Faraci, Billions, Fire Island, and The Alienist.

- Showtime has released a new behind the scenes video for its highly anticipated six-part limited event series Guerrilla, premiering on Sunday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Created by Academy Award® winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, American Crime), Guerrilla is a love story set against the backdrop of one of the most politically explosive times in U.K. history. The series stars Screen Actors Guild Award® winner Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) and Babou Ceesay (Getting On).


- This week Hulu released a new teaser for The Handmaid’s Tale. The 10-episode first season premieres on Wednesday, April 26th.


- In advance of World Water Day on March 22, Stella Artois and National Geographic are announcing the national premiere of Our Dream of Water, a documentary film spotlighting the effects of the global water crisis by 2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner director Crystal Moselle. Our Dream of Wateris Moselle’s first film since her highly acclaimed documentary “The Wolfpack” and was commissioned by Stella Artois as a part of the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign, an ongoing partnership with Water.org to raise awareness about the global water crisis. The film follows the journey of three women and their communities in Haiti, Peru and Kenya – countries that benefit from the campaign. As with Moselle’s previous films, Our Dream of Water is extremely character-driven and focuses on three exceptional women and their unshakeable perseverance, despite hardships they face on a daily basis. Tune-in! Our Dream of Water will debut on National Geographic at 6:00:00 on March 22, on World Water Day, with an encore presentation on March 23 at 3:00 p.m. EST/PST.

- Tune in to the AUDIENCE Network concert special Brandy Clark airing Friday, March 10, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT via DIRECTV Ch 239/U-verse Ch 1114 and DIRECTVNOW. In this episode, Brandy Clark sits down with host Ted Stryker in Los Angeles foran in-depth interview spanning her musical beginnings and influences.

-The official trailer for the upcoming documentary film Disgraced was released today and is available now on SHO.com and the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube page. DISGRACED will make its anticipated world premiere at the SXSW® Film Festival on Sunday, March 12 and its television premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

- Boston-based singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield will be releasing a brand-new record titled Pussycat (American Laundromat Records) on April 28th, following the kick-off of a national tour that will start on April 23rd. The first single, "Impossible Song" can be heard here: soundcloud.com/laundromat13/impossible-song/s-MlVz9

- On March 31, 2017, almost fifteen years after his explosive debut, UMe will release Best Of 50 Cent. This is 50 Cent’s first “Best Of� compilation, which will be issued on CD and at all digital retail outlets. The double LP will be released on April 7. It includes classic cuts from the albums Get Rich or Die Tryin’, The Massacre, Curtis, Before I Self Destruct, Music From And Inspired By Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ The Motion Picture and the In Too Deep Motion Picture Soundtrack. Best Of 50 Cent also features the non-album tracks “Get Up� and “I Get It In,� plus the bonus cut “How to Rob.� Among his many legendary collaborators included are Mobb Deep, Akon, Ne-Yo, The Madd Rapper, Nate Dogg, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Olivia, the first woman signed to 50 Cent’s G-Unit label.

- Dove Channel, Cinedigm’s (NASDAQ: CIDM) OTT family-friendly streaming service, announced today that episode one of its first original show, Frankly Faraci, is scheduled to go up on the service March 21st, with new episodes premiering weekly thereafter. Hosted by journalist Matthew Faraci, this unprecedented show provides viewers with an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at high-profile figures in entertainment, music, sports, business, and politics who are doing good things in the world.

- Showtime has picked up the hit drama series Billions for a third season. Billions delivered the network’s biggest sophomore debut since Homeland, and had its best telecast of the season this past Sunday night, up 13 percent versus the season two premiere telecast. Starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff and Malin Akerman, Billions airs Sundays at 10:00.

- Logo this week unveiled the cast and trailer for its new unscripted series, Fire Island, from Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ Milojo Productions. Fire Island follows a group of young professionals living together in a beachfront share house for the summer as they search for the romance, temptation and thrills that have brought the LGBTQ community to the island for decades. The provocative new show will premiere later this spring.

- Sean Astin (Stranger Things) is set to star as Theodore Roosevelt, the Police Commissioner for New York City, in TNT's The Alienist, the eagerly anticipated series based on the Anthony Award-winning New York Times bestseller by Caleb Carr. Astin joins fellow series regulars Daniel Brühl (Rush) as forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler; Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train) as newspaper illustrator John Moore; and Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral) as Sara Howard, a headstrong secretary at Police Headquarters, who together investigate a series of brutal m urders i n New York during the Gilded Age.

Around the Tubes: 3/3/17

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth, Whitney. Can I Be Me, Bob’s Burgers, Search Party, and Melrose.

- Follow world-famous dog behaviorist Cesar Millan (@cesarmillan) and his son Andre as they team up on a road trip across America to help organizations and people that are rescuing and rehabilitating dogs, in the new series Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation, premiering Friday, March 3, at 9:00 on Nat Geo WILD. The series will present new challenges for Cesar as he does more than just help dog owners with their pets’ behavioral problems. We uncover inspirational K-9 stories and connect with those that are working to make our world a better place for us and our pets, such as organizations helping veterans and their service dogs, community-run animal rescue groups training K-9 police dogs and therapy dogs that help children with autism. From canine heroes to issues affecting local dog communities, no pup is off limits as the Millans hit the road to help dogs across the country.

- The genre-busting cult classic from Joss Whedon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer turns 20 years old on March 10, 2017! To celebrate Buffy Summers, the Scoobies and all the monsters that go bump in the night, 20th Century Fox Consumer Products announces exciting product launches – from board games to new books to fashion accessories to apparel -- and multiple fan-focused activities including a “Sunnydale High Yearbook Contest” offering a trip to 2017 San Diego Comic Con. Plus, on the anniversary, fans can tune-in to relive the two-part premiere episode on Pop (to find your channel go to Poptv.com) on March 10th at 9 AM.

- Showtime ordered a new season of the groundbreaking political documentary series The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth. Returning Sunday, March 19 at 8:00 on SHOWTIME, the show will examine the riveting and unprecedented events unfolding – both inside and outside the Beltway – in President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.

- Showtime Documentary Films will premiere Whitney. Can I Be Me, a film exploring the incredible career and complicated life of the memorable singer, at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on April 26 at the SVA Theater, with subsequent screenings all weekend. The film will air on Showtime later this year. The powerful documentary is directed by acclaimed BAFTA Award winner Nick Broomfield (Kurt & Courtney, Tales of the Grim Sleeper).

- Game night just got a lot more fun! USAopoly is releasing 3 brand new games based on everyone’s favorite dysfunctional restaurant family, the Belchers from Bob’s Burgers! MONOPOLY®: Bob's Burgers Edition, Bob’s Burgers Puzzle and JENGA®: Bob's Burgers Edition are must-haves for any Bob’s Burgers fanatic – and soon all be available for purchase at USAopoly.com.

- In celebration of Search Party's presence at SXSW, TBS is making all 10 episodes of the binge-worthy first season available to watch for free on tbs.com & the tbs app from 3/14-3/21. If you're attending the festival, come by Search Party's In Search Of pop-up store for a one-of-a-kind experience! The store is open 3/14-3/16 at 88 1/2 Rainey Street in Austin.

- This week Showtime Networks announced the pickup of the five-part limited series Melrose, starring and executive produced by Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game, Sherlock). BAFTA Award nominee David Nicholls (Far From the Madding Crowd, One Day) is writing all five episodes of the television adaptation. Based on the acclaimed Patrick Melrose series of semi-autobiographical novels written by Edward St. Aubyn, MELROSE hilariously skewers the upper class as it tracks the protagonist’s harrowing odyssey from a deeply traumatic childhood through adult substance abuse and, ultimately, toward recovery. A co-production between SHOWTIME and Sky Atlantic, the limited series will begin shooting in New York, London and the South of France in August. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

Around the Tubes: 2/24/17

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Mythbusters: The Search, Castle Rock, Gin Blossoms, Black Sails, Dark Net, Americans Underground: Secret City of WWI, I’m Dying Up Here, and Animal Kingdom.

- In a LIVE broadcast of Science Channel’s Mythbusters: The Search on Saturday, February 25 at 9:00, the next generation of Mythbusters will be revealed. Throughout the season, the final four contenders have all earned the right to be called Mythbusters, displaying killer myth-busting build skills, science smarts and remarkable nerves. Unfortunately, not all of them will walk away as Mythbusters. The finale, featuring Mythbusters: The Search host and Nerdist science editor Kyle Hill, will originate from Jersey City’s Liberty Science Center.

- Hulu is taking viewers into the chilling world of acclaimed, best-selling author Stephen King in the new Hulu Original drama series Castle Rock, from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, Warner Bros. Television and executive producers/writers Sam Shaw & Dustin Thomason. Hulu has ordered a 10 episode first season of the on-going series, with production set to begin this year. A teaser trailer for Castle Rock has been viewed more than one million times since it was released on Friday, Feb. 17, and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/UGHupqE1LCI.

- Gin Blossoms were formed in 1987 in Tempe, AZ, by lead guitarist/songwriter Doug Hopkins, Bill Leen and then-lead vocalist Jesse Valenzuela, (who eventually relinquished the lead vocal position to Robin Wilson before signing to A&M Records) taking their name from a photo of W.C. Fields in Kenneth Anger’s legendary Hollywood Babylon book, which depicted him “with gin blossoms,” referring to his rosacea-ravaged face. A southwest contemporary of bands like the Sidewinders, Meat Puppets, the Refreshments and Dead Hot Workshop. Gin Blossoms’ first full-length studio album, New Miserable Experience, came out on August 4, 1992, on A&M Records, followed four years later by Congratulations, I’m Sorry, on February 13, 1996. UMe will now reissue both albums on black and limited edition colored vinyl on March 24, marking the 25th anniversary of the release of New Miserable Experience.

- In a new deal with Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), Hulu has acquired the subscription streaming rights to the hit, Starz Original series premium cable network drama, Black Sails. All past episodes of the series from previous seasons will become available to stream on Hulu starting now. Hulu has also secured the rights to the fourth and final season when it becomes available.

- The second season of Dark Net, the provocative docu-series produced by Vocativ Films that shines a spotlight on the dark recesses of the deep web, will return to Showtime’s primetime schedule Thursday, April 6th at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. DARK NET chronicles the ways in which the Internet has pervaded our communities, relationships and minds, and exposes the dangers of an unregulated, unsupervised digital frontier.

- Texas trauma surgeon Jeff Gusky has revealed an underground city and hidden world beneath a French wheat field. Also an explorer and photographer, Gusky has uncovered extraordinary carvings that bring to light new information about the American soldiers who took refuge there during World War I. The Americans left their names on the ancient limestone walls in hundreds of inscriptions and images: in some cases revealing their identities, where they came from, and ultimately their fate. On the 100th anniversary of WWI, Smithsonian Channel™ exclusively reveals never-before-seen photos and shocking discoveries about these soldiers in the one-hour special Americans Underground: Secret City of WWI, premiering on Monday, March 13, at 8:00.

- Showtime will present the world premiere of its highly anticipated new one-hour drama series I’m Dying Up Here at the South by Southwest® (SXSW) Film Festival on Wednesday, March 15 at 11:30 a.m. in the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. The world premiere will be immediately followed by a Q&A with the series’ cast and producers, including Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Treme), Ari Graynor (Bad Teacher), Andrew Santino (Mixology), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), Al Madrigal (The Daily Show) and executive producer Michael Aguilar.

- The Codys are back, and the ties that bind them are about to be stretched to the limit when TNT's hit Animal Kingdom returns for its second season. One of cable's Top 5 new dramas this past summer, the series about a Southern California crime family stars Emmy® and Tony® winner Ellen Barkin as the matriarch of the Cody clan, Scott Speedman as her second in command and Shawn Hatosy as her volatile, mentally unstable eldest son. Also starring are Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Molly Gordon and Carolina Guerra. The second season of Animal Kingdom is slated to launch Tuesday, May 30, at 9:00 on TNT.

Around the Tubes: 2/16/17

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Water & Power: A California Heist, Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, T'Pau, Maggie Rogers, Victorian Rebel – Marianne North, Pochahontas: Beyond the Myth, and In the Heat of the Night.

- Today, more than 500 million people around the world lack access to clean drinking water. Global warming, drought, overconsumption, corporate greed, terrorism and political corruption have all contributed to a stark reality where fresh water is scarce, expensive and not a guaranteed human right. Coinciding with World Water Day (March 22), National Geographic has announced two new projects from Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (“Going Clear”, “Taxi to the Dark Side”) that will air throughout the month of March and shed light on critical issues bubbling up around the world and in our own backyards. First, following a successful debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, is the feature documentary Water & Power: A California Heist. Directed by Emmy award winner Marina Zenovich (“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”) and executive produced by Gibney and Jigsaw Productions, the film unfolds like a real-life version of the 1974 film noir “Chinatown,” as it peels back the layers of California’s history of water manipulations.

- Showtime Documentary Films will release the new documentary Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, an unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life of the legendary musician. The documentary will screen at domestic and international film festivals later this year, followed by a theatrical run in the U.S. and Canada, before airing nationally on SHOWTIME in 2018. The film will be directed by Oscar®-winner Lili Fini Zanuck (Rush, Driving Miss Daisy), with John Battsek (One Day In September, Searching for Sugar Man) producing for Passion Pictures. BAFTA winner Chris King (Amy, Senna) will serve as editor.

- Following on from the success of 2015's expanded ‘Bridge of Spies’ set UMG / Virgin now present T’Pau – The Virgin Anthology. This collection is a comprehensive, 4-CD curation of T'Pau's Virgin Records career: all those glorious singles from the mighty, quadruple platinum debut album ‘Bridge Of Spies’ ('87,) the two Top Ten albums which followed, the platinum-selling ‘Rage’ ('88) and Top 10 gold-selling ‘The Promise’ ('91,) plus a glimmering collector's grotto of B-sides, remixes, tantalising rarities and unreleased demo versions of the songs which lit up the late-‘80s skyline like luminous shooting stars. In the era's dominant teen-pop landscape T'Pau were a proper band, their stadium-level ambition powering into realisation via one of the most distinctive vocalists in history, Carol's singular force-of-nature tone somehow merging, stunningly, the youthful euphoria of the ingénue with the depths of a woman's wisdom.

- Maggie Rogers: “Alaska”:


- Smithsonian Channel is celebrating Women’s History Month with new specials that highlight two of the most courageous and independent-spirited women of their time, both leaving a lasting impression for centuries to follow. Victorian Rebel – Marianne North remembers one of the most adventurous female explorers and botanists of all time in a story of obsession, tragedy and ultimately triumph in Victorian England. Pochahontas: Beyond the Myth revisits the life of a legendary woman whose story continues to gain new resonance over time, even now on the 400-year anniversary of her death in March 1617. Victorian Rebel – Marianne North premieres on Wednesday, March 8 at 8:00. It is produced by Dan Chambers for Blink Films and Warner Sisters Productions. Charles Poe, David Royle and Joy Galane serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel. Pochahontas: Beyond the Myth premieres on Monday, March 27 at 8:00. It is produced by Biscuit Factory for Smithsonian Networks. Rob Lyall and Molly Herman are executive producers for Biscuit Factory. John Cavanagh and David Royle serve as executive producers for Smithsonian Channel.

- During his frequent guest appearances on The Carol Burnett Show, Tim Conway, who had originally gotten his start on McHale's Navy, was a one-man wrecking crew capable of leveling the audience and cast members alike with the slightest gesture. With an unparalleled gift for improvisation and physical comedy, Conway became a permanent part of the cast in 1975 and would go on to create a gallery of oddball characters that blossomed in their own bumbling ineptitude, from the "Oldest Man" to the irascible boss, Mr. Tudball. The Carol Burnett Show: The Best of Tim Conway celebrates this inimitable and legendary comic with four complete episodes - three not seen in more than 40 years - featuring some of his most unforgettable characters and moments. Street Date: April 4, 2017.

- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will kick off the 8th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 6th with a 50th anniversary screening of the Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger classic In the Heat of the Night (1967). The iconic actor Sidney Poitier, who will attend the screening, broke stereotypes and new ground when he starred in this five time Academy Award winner about a black detective from the north who finds himself investigating a murder in a small-town in Mississippi. Producer Walter Mirisch and Director Norman Jewison along with actress Lee Grant and composer Quincy Jones will be on hand to discuss the film which is considered to be a landmark.

- A group of governors from both ends of the political spectrum are urging President Donald Trump to support renewable energy, saying the wind and solar industries are crucial economic engines for impoverished rural regions. The Governor’s Wind & Solar Energy Coalition is seeking increased federal funding to modernize local power grids and boost clean energy research, according to a letter submitted to the White House Monday. The group is also calling for legislation to promote offshore wind farms and efforts to streamline the permitting process for wind and solar projects.

Around the Tubes: 2/9/2017

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Angie Tribeca, Showtime, After Spring, Big Cat Week, Disgraced, Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico, FilmStruck, and Mama's Family.

- The world called, and Angie has answered with the most magnificent, masterful and moving third season of TBS's Angie Tribeca yet. Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Jere Burns, Deon Cole, Andrée Vermeulen and Jagger will be back when the powerful police drama returns Monday, April 10, at 10:30, exclusively on TBS, a division of Turner.

- Showtime will be available to more than 73 million households during a Free Preview Weekend from Friday, February 17 through Monday, February 20. Viewers nationwide will be able to sample the network’s award-winning programming on Showtime, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via select distributors' TV Everywhere portals. The Free Preview Weekend will include the season two premiere of the powerful drama series Billions, starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Paul Giamatti and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Damian Lewis. Additionally, viewers will be able to sample new episodes of the Emmy-winning drama series HOMELAND, along with a live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event, feature films and compelling documentary programming.

- Starz announced this week the critically-acclaimed documentary After Spring, executive produced by Jon Stewart and Chris McShane and directed/produced by Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, will make its national television debut on Friday, February 10 at 9:00 exclusively on STARZ. The documentary will be made available for STARZ subscribers on the STARZ app and STARZ ON DEMAND today, Friday, February 3, one week prior to the television premiere. he outstanding documentary feature film tells the heartbreaking and inspiring personal stories of Syrian refugees and aid workers at the Zaatari Refugee Camp, home to 80,000 people and now considered the fourth largest city in Jordan. More than 50 percent of the camp’s population is under 18 years old and over 5,000 babies have been born in the camp since it opened in July 2012. The Syrian conflict has displaced more than 10 million people, according to the United Nations.

- For millions of years, big cats have stood atop the food chain as treasured icons of the wild. We have a deep, ancient connection with these revered predators. We admire them; we fear them; and now, we need to fight for them. Today, big cats such as lions, cheetahs, leopards and cougars are in decline across the globe. Nat Geo WILD’s seventh annual Big Cat Week has turned its lens on these majestic animals to shine a light on their struggle and to remind viewers of their importance in the world. Big Cat Week premieres Monday, Feb. 20, at 9:00 on Nat Geo WILD

- This week, Showtime Networks Inc. announced the feature-length documentary Disgraced, which recounts the shocking murder of Baylor University men’s basketball star Patrick Dennehy as well as an attempted cover-up of NCAA rule violations. The film, which will make its world premiere at the 2017 South By Southwest film festival next month, will premiere on Showtime on March 31 at 9:00.

- Star Wars: Rouge One star Diego Luna and former Mexican President Vincente Fox will join Conan O'Brien during the late-night host's newest primetime special, Conan Without Borders: Made in Mexico. Shot on location in Mexico City, the hour-long special is set to premiere Wednesday, March 1, at 10:00, exclusively on TBS.

- FilmStruck, the streaming movie service for film aficionados, is now available on Google Chromecast second generation and Chromecast Ultra devices. Continuing its rapid platform expansion, the streaming service will also launch on Roku, Playstation 4 and Xbox One in the coming months. FilmStruck, featuring the largest streaming library of contemporary and classic arthouse, indie, foreign and cult films and the exclusive streaming home to the Criterion Collection, is available for streaming on Apple TV 4th generation devices, Amazon Fire TV, web, iOS and Android devices.

- Everyone's favorite indelible and smart alecky small-town matriarch is back - and, she's brought her whole crazy family with her! After breaking out from "The Family" sketches on "The Carol Burnett Show," Thelma "Mama" Harper's home-spun humor earned its own well-loved sitcom which ran for six knee-slapping seasons. Set in the fictional city of Raytown, MAMA'S FAMILY revolves around the eye-opening escapades of the Harper clan, headed by Mama Harper, who does not suffer fools gladly. In fact, she makes everybody suffer a little with her patented snappy retorts that truly put the "diss" in dysfunction. Now, for the first time, home audiences can revel in the very best episodes of this outlandish family comedy with Mama's Family: The Mama's Family Favorites Collection. Street Date: March 7, 2017

- Some upcoming Showtime premiere dates:
Original Series
Billions: Sunday, February 19 at 10:00
Guerrilla: Sunday, April 16 at 9:00
Twin Peaks: Sunday May 21 at 9:00
I'm Dying Up Here: Sunday, June 4 at 10:00
Ray Donovan: Summer
Documentaries
American Jihad: Saturday, March 11 at 9:00
Beach Boys: Making of Pet Sounds: Apri
Jackson: May
More Than T: June
Becoming Cary Grant: TBD
Comedy Specials
Nick Cannon: Stand Up. Don't Shoot: Friday, Febuary 10 at 9:00
SXSW Comedy with Natasha Leggero Part Two: Friday, March 17 at 10;00
Steve Byrne: Tell the Damn Joke: April
Al Madrigal: Shrimpin' Ain't Easy: Friday May 5 at 9:00
Andrew Santino: Home Field Advantage: Friday, June 2 at 9:00
Erik Griffin: The Ugly Truth: Friday, July 7 at 9:00
Sports
Shobox: The New Generation: Friday, February 10 at 10:00
Showtime Championship Boxing: Broner vs. Granados: Saturday, Febuary 18 at 9:00
Shobox: The New Generation: Fridy, February 24 at 10:00
Prison Fighters: 5 Rounds to Freedom: Friday, February 24 at 8:30